I know there are a lot of realistic fiction fans out there. That’s me, too, so I’m always excited when there’s a fresh batch of great realistic fiction books on the new books shelves at the library! Here are a few that I think are extra-special:

Dane, a kid with a bullying problem, and Billy D, a kid with down syndrome, are an unlikely pair. When Dane reigns in his anger long enough to realize it would be very bad to hit Billy even if he finds him annoying, Billy takes it as a sign of friendship and enlists Dane to help him solve a mystery in his life. It helps that the principal tells Dane if he’ll ignore his latest offense if he agrees to look after Billy and do whatever he wants. Neither of them has ever really had a friend before. When confronted with the friendship, both are forced to realize that their actions have meaning – and consequences, sometimes devastating.

Sneak Peek!“I had a foot on some guy’s throat and a hand in my pocket the first time I saw Billy D. He was standing across the street, staring – not even trying to be sly about it – just staring without a word, without even blinking.” (Text copyright 2013 by Erin Jade Lange)

When your narrator is a compulsive liar, you know you’re in for an interesting read. Colette has personality, but she struggles with who she is in light of the big personality of her movie star mother. So she reinvents reality by lying, because she thinks her reality sucks. When she meets Connor, that changes. But it doesn’t change how much she loves to lie – or reinvent – so we don’t know what to believe. You will want to believe everything she says, as you laugh and cry along with this unique novel-in-verse.

Richard is a 17-year-old with cancer. Life pretty much stinks, Good thing he’s got spunk and a partner-in-crime, though. Richard and Sylvie stage a Halloween prank in their cancer ward in order to distract themselves from the reality that they have both been given a month to live. When his mom gets sick and can’t come see him, Richie’s wacky uncle takes him out of the hospital and the two have a wild and crazy night – eventually running into Sylvie’s horrible father. Despite the fact that her father is staunchly against it, Sylvie gets closer to Richie. This is another surprisingly hopeful and hilarious novel featuring teens dealing with a harsh reality.